Attachment for the steam heat conduit connections of railroad cars



Feb. W. E. FRONK ATTACHMENT FOR THE STEAM HEAT CONDUIT CONNECTIONS OF RAILROAD CARS Filed May 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l @www I WWWHMWS Feb. 2o, 1945. W, E FRONI; 2,369,888

ATTACHMENT FOR 'IHE STEAM HEAT CONDUI'IV` CONNECTIONS OF RAILROAD CARS Filed May 6, Y1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor O WZZZWZEl/fm From/" u B y M' Patented Feb. zo, 194s ATTACHMENT FOR TIIE STEAM HEAT CON- DUIT CONNECTIONS OF RAILROAD CARS William Edwin Fronk, Ogden, Utah, assignor of one-half to P. E. Carroll, Ogden, Utah Application May 6, 1943, Serial No. 485,912

1 Claim. (Cl. 285-57) The present invention relates generally to the steam heat conduit connections of railroad cars and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel means for automatically uncoupling such connections' when the cars separate.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the aforementioned character which is adapted to hold up or support the conduits after they have been uncoupled. y

Other objects of the invention are to provide an automatic uncoupling attachment of the character described which .will be comparatively sim ple, strong, durable, highly eiiicient and reliable in operation Vand which may be manufactured and installed atl low cost. All of the foregoing and stillv further object come apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts through-.

out the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, showing an attachment `constructed in accordance with the present invention installed. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. n Figure 3,is a top plan View, showing one of the sections of the connecting head afterthe conduits have been uncoupled.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation, showing theinvention installed on another connection.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and to Figures l, 2 and 3 thereof in particular,l it will be seen that reference numeral I designates generally apair of steam heat connections which are mounted on the ends of railroad cars. The connections I include the usual vertical conduits 2 which are hingedly connected at their upper ends, as at 3, to the usual members 4. Horizontallyextending conduits are hingedly connected at B to the lower end portions of the conduits I for swinging movement in a vertical plane, said conduits 5 including sections 1 which y3 thereof.

It is thought that the operation ofthe inventionv will be readily apparent vfrom a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, when the cars are k and advantages of the present invention will beuncoupled and separate, the connections Iv are pulled upwardly and tend to straighten out, as

v4Suggested in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the 'drawings the conduits I and 5 swinging on the In this manner the slack is As the cars conhinges 3 and 6. taken out of the' chains I 2.'

tinue to separate the chains I2, after the slack v has been removed therefrom, actuate the bars II for unlocking the members II). As the cars continue to separate from this point, the chains I2 raise and uncouple the members III of the head 9.

. In the Aconnection shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the vertical conduits I5 are coupled to the members I6 by ball and socket connections I'I. A substantially similar connection I8 couples the horizontal conduit'IB to the lower end portion of the vertical conduits I5. The same head 9 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, detachably connects ythe conduits I9. In this arrangement, the chains VI2 are connected, at one end, by clamps or bands 20 to the upper portions of the vertical conduits I5. In 'other respects this form of the invention is substantially similar in construction and operation to the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

It is believed that the many advantages of an automatic uncoupling attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although preferred emf bodiments are as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that further modifications and changes in the details of construction may be re- "sorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, cables or Also suitable means other than those shown may be employed for connecting the ends of the chains or cables.

Having described the invention, 4what is claimed asnew is:

Thev combination with a railroad car steam,

heat connection of the type comprising vertical and horizontal conduits hingedly mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane and a head detachably connectingthe horizontal conduits, said head including locking bars, of flexible members having one end connected to the locking bars and their other ends connected to the vertical conduits for actuating said bars to inoperative position and for swinging the head upwardly and uncoupling the same when the conwhen said vertical conduits are swung upwardly.

' WILLIAM EDWIN FRONK. 

